Brtiain’s Got Talent host Ant McPartlin made a mad dash to the vet after being told that his beloved pet pooch Harley was too ill to make a full recovery and was time to say goodbye
10:49, 15 Feb 2026Updated 10:58, 15 Feb 2026
Ant McPartlin rushed out of a BGT press conference to say goodbye to beloved dog after being told he was too ill to recover(Image: Getty Images,)
TV icon Ant McPartlin rushed out of the Britain’s Got Talent press conference to be with his beloved dog Hurley, after finding out he was “too ill to recover” and it was time to say goodbye. Ant, 50, had shared the Labrador with his ex wife and make-up artist Lisa Armstrong.
Beloved Hurley had been the couple’s fur baby throughout their 12 year marriage, which came to a bitter end in 2018. The couple were so-in love with the pet that neither could part ways and they continued to ‘co parent’ him after their split.
This week Ant put his BGT work to an abrupt halt, as he made a speedy dash to the vet to be with Hurley before he was sadly put to sleep. It has been reported that his ex Lisa was also at the surgery at the same time.
For Ant, Hurley was more than just a pet, he credited the dog for getting him through the most difficult time in his life. Rather than praise pal Dec or then wife Lisa, Ant said it was Hurley who kept him going as he faced up to his drugs and alcohol problem.
Ant’s problems with substance abuse hit an all time low after he crashed his Mini into two cars while under the influence. He pleaded guilty to drink-driving and slapped with a 20-month driving ban and fined a whopping £86,000. But the public outrage was so huge that it threatened to derail Ant’s glittering TV career.
Ant McPartlin rushed out of a BGT press conference to say goodbye to beloved dog after being told he was too ill to recover(Image: MDM)
Ant McPartlin rushed out of a BGT press conference to say goodbye to beloved dog after being told he was too ill to recover(Image: Instagram/ @lisaarmstrongmakeup)
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Ant issued a public statement at the time, telling fans he was putting his career on hold for the first time since his teen years to focus on himself. At that time, Declan Donnelly, who makes up for one half of the dynamic duo, fronted the final episodes of their Saturday Night Takeaway series alone and then hosted I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, alongside Holly Willoughby, giving Ant space to recover.
Speaking candidly to The Times, Dec admitted that his feelings towards Ant at this time were all over the place. He revealed that he wanted to “punch him and hug him at the same time.”
It was a tumultuous time for Ant but there was one constant – his beloved dog. Speaking about their bond, Ant said: “There’s a loyalty and a love and a companionship with Hurley that you can’t describe. He never tells me off and is always pleased to see me.”
When Ant and Lisa’s marriage broke down in 2018, the TV presenter said his wife could take what she wanted, ‘anything but Hurley.’ The pair adopted Hurley in 2013 after struggling to have children and had doted on him ever since.
At the time, the TV star said: “Hurley’s welfare comes first and we both love him very much. That’s the way it is really.”
After remarrying Anne Marie Corbett, Ant adopted two more dogs – Maltipoos – with wife Anne-Marie Corbett
Speaking about his mental health now, Ant told Ferne Cotton’s podcast Happy Place this month: “I feel pretty good. I work at it a lot.
“Because I’m sober, there’s things I work at daily, gratitude lists of an evening, little prayers, so it’s something you constantly have to check in with, and because of that comes a gratitude for everything you do, and for life, and for work, and friendships, relationships, love.”
Ant went on to add: “As long as you keep doing that, then you’re OK. It’s like exercise, there’s a little discipline to it, and you’ll be alright. Yeah, I feel pretty good.”
The TV star Ant revealed that he found his early forties “tough” to deal with and welcomed turning 50 years old in November last year. In an interview with The Times he said: “Turning 50 for me was great because my early forties was a really tough time. These last few years, it’s the happiest I’ve been in a long, long time. What changes as you get older, especially being sober as well, for me, is the purpose.”
He added: “When you’re live on I’m a Celebrity in Australia and you’re in the moment with your best friend, there’s nowhere else I want to be, but as soon as we finish, we go back to our apartments by the beach and we’re with our families. That’s where we want to be right then.”
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